Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-03-15


face jammed between the sills and in a most
shocking condition That she was alive
seemed doubtful, till the body was moved,
when, to the terror of her rescuers, and it
was found that the head and one arm
were severed from the body, as
though done by knife The rescuers OBJ
tanned saws ami Jackscrews and, after much
difficult work succeeded in extricating all
that remained of the woman, who but mo-
nlent before was full of life. The body was
first removed, then the mutilated and un-
recosuiz able head, ami finally the arm
Then near the stove, in each others arms,
were two young women, both dead-evi-
IDENTIFY Instantly kIlle their heads crushed
almost beyond recognition. Here again it
required Jackscrews, levers aud saws to ex-
tricats the remains Another woman lay
cramped between two car seats, with life ex-
tinct Not mark appeared upon her body
to indicate now death approached Extended
with arms pushed forward, as though en-
deavorng to ward off the crashing timbers
which fell about, but did not touch her, she
lay there as calm as though in sleep But
the awful position in which the body lay left
no doubt but that in the upheaval of the
between the seats and her young life slowly
crept from the frail boiy. 1t was an awful
sigh.
The majority of the passengers in the cars
which plunged 10 death were women, all
young. happy, hopeful creatures, whose tiny
satcheis with carefully prepared lunches told
pathetIcallY, as no words possibly can, the
circumstance Of their daily lives.
In the smoker Mr.. Rouniy, aged 80, was
playing cards with Ell Snow, Harry Gay
and Officer LaiIler. Every one of his COM
panions was killed outright and few mo-
ments later Mr. Rouniy found himself
standing on the soft, ciayey mud of the
Roslindale road, his clothing torn, the blood
streaming from face and head, holding in his
hand the queen of diamonds, the surviving
relic besides himself of a game that will
never be finished Nelly Abraham was
badly injured IN many places about limbs
ami body, AMI all her front teeth knocked
OUT and sever al of them were swallowed
One man was found sitting bolt upright in
hts seat, but stark dead, with blood flowing
IN several small streams from cuts on the
head.
The women had an awful time in getting
tor from their forms All of those pinned
down in the cars had horrible fear of fire,
and shouted for assistance to escape possible
cremation.
William Young, of Roslindale was. I'm the
third car that fell. He says there were a
great many ladies' in his car, most of them
being killed He saw many women with
their heads and necks cut and breasts badly
muhiated He says the women we're as brave
as the men, and there was little loud crying
except by those WHO were pinned down. An
officer of the police saw the head of woman
pulled out, anu breaking the woodwork of a
car with heels, stones, and anything they
could lay their hands on, in the absence of
axes or other implements, the workers finally
succeeded in pulling out the body, In another
instance the body of a woman was pulled out
of the wreck minus one arm. Further investi-
CATION resulted in the finding of the missing
limb He also saw the body of a man pulled
out, minus both legs, and further search
resulted in the discovery of the legs. 1t
seemed as if these members had been pulled
from the boly. Many scenes similar to
those described above might be- pictured
The wreck was horrible in the extreme. and
one of the very worst in the annals Of rail-
reading.
While the people were working to rescue
those in the wreck it was necessary in two
cases to cut bodies Of tine dead in order to
get them out. A singular incident was OBJ
served IN the case of one man who after get.
, ting out of the wreck walked quite dis
tance toward Roslindals and then suddenly
fell dead He did not seem to be externally
injured and 1t is supposed that death was due
to internal injur Is aggravated by excite
uent
As fast as the victims were brou ght out
they We're lifted tenderly into team and car
ried to the RoSliudlle auI Forest Hills sta
tions, most of the dead to tn, latter place.
Those who lived in Roslindale and who were
able to walk, a score or more, climbed pain
fully up the embankment. through mud and
ice TO the track. and took up their march for
home and this corps of bleeding and manned
men tramping wcarily into the town was
| about the first positive information the good
people of that place hal of the extent of the
disaster
As soon as the news of thu disaster
reached Boston the railroad at once began
running extra trains to the wreck, and prob
ably i5,Ood peopl, visited the scene, and
carloads OF sphnters we're carried away a:
! relics.
| The following is as correct a list of the
killed and those who have died of their in.
| juries as can be obtained at present: Con.
ductur Myron Fielden, of Dedham; Alice
| Burnett, of Ro5iindale, aged Is. William
! johnson, Of ROslindale; Mrs. HorInisda:
Cardinal, of Roslindale; Mrs. Clapp, of West
! Roxbury, y Years cid; Mss Norris, of West
! Roxbury: Edward T. Norris, of Dedham,
| freight clerk of the Boston q Providence
railway; Edward NJ. Snow, of West Rox.
bury; Waldo B. Lailer, police officer, Spring
Street station; LIZZIE Vaudeville, of bed
| ham; Lizzie Walton, Of Dedham: William s
Strong; William F. Durham; Stephen T
Houghton, gas filter Roslindale; Harry Day
| clerk; Miss 81 L. Oliorne, Of Dover
/ n H; Miss Ida Adams; Miss Liz,
| II. Price, Of Dedham. Miss Sarah Ellis
Of MedielI; al unknown woman about 8,
years Old; Albert L. johnson, ~ years OF
| aye; Peter S Warner, tailor; Emma ?. Hill
. years Of age; Hattie j. Dudev. residenc,
unknown; Miss Rosabell4 WEIGH 81 years
| West Roxbury.
Those believed to be fatally injured are
Joseph Metcalf, West Roxbury; W. F. Bow
man, engineer, Dedham, Henry P Earn
shaw, West Roxbury Miss Alice Adams
Roslindale; Webster Drake, conductor, Ded
ham; W, W Smith, West Roxbury; job
Murphy, Roalindale, Mary Murphy, Ro:
lindale; Cyrus Hayes, Roshndale
The latest information makes it safe to sa
| 100 persons sustained injurie but onl,
about twenty five of these are lady hurt
The railroad commissioners visited th
scene Monday afternoon and had pointed GU
to them the supposed cause of the accident
At the lower end of the hangers which SUI
ported the bridge is a cast iron box enclo:
ing a clutch which resembles two fingers c
a hand drawn up to half circle. Thes
clutches were about two and half inche
wide and one and half Inches thick Owe
the iron fingers was round steel pinto
about eighteen inches long and three incht
in diameter. One Of these fingers was con
pletely rotted away by rust, and the otht
rusted about half through. Thus the who
! ctr thrown iro